This invention relates to a new and improved method for the synthesis of boracites.
Boracites are a class of compounds of the general formula M.sub.3 B.sub.7 O.sub.13 X where M is a divalent metal and X is a monovalent anion.
Boracites exhibit pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties and are useful for example as infrared detectors.
In the past the boracites have been synthesized generally by vapor transport methods, for example, by the method as described by Schmid, H. J. Phys. Chem. Solids 26, 973, 1965. However this method has the disadvantages of producing a low yield of the boracite, causing the boracites to be contaminated by complex metal borates and requiring a complex and sophisticated experimental arrangement.